Press release

Age not holding back Cuba’s Leon as captain

Cuba's Wilfredo Leon is the youngest team captain among in the 12-teams participating in the 2011 FIVB Men's World Cup

Hamamatsu, Japan, November 29, 2011 – Cuba’s Wilfredo Leon Venero has already experienced a tremendous career at the highest international levels of men’s volleyball. Yet, he is only four months past his 18th birthday.

Regardless of his age, Cuba’s coaching staff bestowed one additional honor on him earlier this year – the captain’s bar. At the on-going FIVB Men's World Cup, he is the youngest captain among the 12 teams participating.

“Leon is a good choice, a good player for captain,” Cuba coach Orlando Samuel Blackwood said. “We talked to him about how to manage the team. He is very young, but he can do the job.”

Leon and Cuba are currently embroiled in a tight race to the 2011 FIVB Men’s World Cup podium in which the three medalist countries will earn tickets to the 2012 Olympic Games. Cuba are 5-2 in the tournament with 14 points for fifth place, but are only one victory and five points behind tournament leader Poland with four matches remaining.

As his team’s captain, the extra duties have not impacted Leon’s performance on the court. He currently ranks seventh in scoring with 108 points with 94 spikes on 179 attempts for a 52.5 success percent – or third-best in the World Cup. During Cuba’s five-set win over top-ranked Brazil on November 28, Leon scored 16 points and kept his team focused on the victory.

“Leon’s character is what stands out and he is mentally strong,” Samuel said. “He is always trying to win and helps the team fight for the win as well.”

Leon began his career with the Cuba senior team at the young age of 14 during the qualifying tournament 2008 Olympic Games. Since then, his resume reads like someone twice his age. In his FIVB World League debut in 2009, he was an instant sensation as the third best scorer before his 16th birthday and helped his team finish in fourth place. That same year he ranked sixth in scoring at the FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship as Cuba finished with the silver medal.

One year later, he helped Cuba to a fourth-place finish at the 2010 FIVB World League as he ended the tournament ranked fourth in Best Scorer, sixth in Best Spiker, eighth in Best Receiver and ninth in Best Digger.

Later in 2010 Leon sparked Cuba to a silver medal at the 2010 FIVB World Championship after falling to Brazil in the title match. He ended the tournament with the seventh highest point total and a 56.14 attack percent for third in Best Spiker.

Cuba reached the 2011 FIVB World League Final Round despite having to play all their matches away from home. The travel caught up to them in the Final Round as they finished in eighth place.